Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Hello again from the city by the bay San Francisco! I'm back at the majestic Castro Theatre, where I attended the Scary Cow Prime Cuts 5th Anniversary Film Festival Extravaganza! For those who don't know, Scary Cow Productions is a film co-op based out here in San Francisco. Their mission is to "build a film community that actively learns to make better films by making films." This year marks the fifth anniversary for Scary Cow, so for tonight, they showed 13 of their very best short films that were made in the last five years. My good friend Samantha Sullivan was producer on several of the films that were shown tonight. The program was split with an intermission in the middle. So sit back, grab some popcorn and let's watch some great local indie films!

The first half of the program contained the following shorts:

INDIVISIBLE (2007): Directed by Conrad Cimarra, the film's about a grade school principal who is unwittingly ensnared in a political plot involving terrorists. This was one of Scary Cow's original trailer projects from their Round One sesions. Running time 3 minutes.

SPACEMAN (2007): Directed by xuxE, this sci-fi rock musical is about Space Man arriving on Earth in search of a way to save his dying planet. Running time 10 minutes.

DAMAGE (2011): Directed by Anton Hill, a business woman opts out of a planned trip only to trigger a crisis she is ill-prepared to face. Running time 14 minutes.

YOU'RE SO FUCKING DEAD, CHARLIE ROZNIK (2009): Directed by Andre Lomov, this hilarious dark comedy/action short is about a man named Billy who can't stand being constantly one-upped by his childhood best frenemy. So he decides to kill him. Running time 13 minutes.

TIM JUNIVERSE (2010): Directed by Ali Kapadia, Tim Juniverse, son of famous archaeologist Jim Juniverse, has one hour to find a long lost relic to save himself from a rare disease and restore his father's legacy. Running time 10 minutes.

BROTHER (2011): Directed by Timothy Sloat, this intense drama revolves around two feuding brothers that embark on a camping trip to honor their absent father. My personal favorite of the bunch. Running time 24 minutes.

After a 45 minute intermission, the festival continued with:

TWO FROM THE LINE (2011): Directed by Rowan Brooks, a young man cheerlessly watches a Knicks game in his hole-in-the-wall apartment with his best friend and things get personal. A very funny dark comedy. Running time 20 minutes.

SECONDS (2008): Directed by Bradley Tangonan, the film asks if you have ever made the same mistake twice? The film is a meditation on relationships and second chances. A very well done drama short. Running time 5 minutes.

HELP FIGHT EPD (2009): Directed by Sashi Chimala, this mockumentary is a heart-wrenching look at those living with EPD (Extreme Pixelation Disorder). Meaning people's faces are being covered up with pixels. Running time 10 minutes.

7 MINUTES IN HELL (2010): Directed by Alexa Fraser-Herron, and inept couple seeks refuge from zombies in a abandoned house. Things get more wild when an audience member climbs into the movie to help out the dim witted couple. A hilarious horror/comedy. Running time 7 minutes.

THE WISH THIEF (2007): Directed by Rachel McGraw, a thief of coins and wishes attempts to dupe a supernatural genie but instead accidentally creates a formidable enemy. Running time 10 minutes.

THE DAYDREAM SERIES (2009): Directed by Teresa Brazen, this trilogy of short experimental pieces evokes mood and movement. Again another one of my favorites. Running time 10 minutes.

THE MAGIC MAN (2011): Directed by DC Kasundra, this amazing film is about a struggling vaudeville magician who turns to the black arts with great consequences. The amazing black and white film was also shot in 3D and evokes the film THE ARTIST. The crowing jewel of the festival! Running time 11 minutes.

After the screenings all the filmmakers were asked to come up onstage and participated in an interview and a informative Q&A session with the audience. Overall, a very impressive and fun-filled film festival! I can't wait to attend their next event, which is their 16th Annual Short Film Festival on March 3rd at the Castro Theatre.

If you would like to know more about Scary Cow, their films, and how to become a member and staring making films, visit their website at www.scarycow.com.

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About This Film Loving Hunk of a Guy

I was born and raised in San Jose, CA. I attended De Anza College in Cupertino were I studied film history and filmmaking. I've written film reviews for publications like Marina Gazette, Fangoria, Dark Beauty Magazine and Blumhouse.com. I've appeared on the local television show Miss Misery's Movie Massacre doing horror movie reviews. Look for me in the front row at your local movie theater. See you then!